Number-one New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris has won numerous awards for her Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, which has been adapted into the hit HBO show True Blood. In this 13th and final book, a murder rocks the town of Bon Temps and Sookie is arrested for the crime. After making bail, she sets out to clear her name - but her investigation only leads to more deaths.

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Audible Editor Reviews

Editors Select, May 2013 - Dead Ever After. The end of an era. Lucky number 13. As great as my anticipation is, and as high as my expectations are, I can’t help but be sad that there will be no more Sookie adventures to read. It’s hard to put so many otherworldly creatures into ours, try to make it a little sexy, a little mysterious, and succeed the way Harris has without resorting to cheap titillations. In the final book (though I heard a rumor about character epilogues), Sookie is arrested for murder and must solve what could be her most difficult mystery yet. Johanna Parker returns as narrator and expertly falls into the role, keeping our heroine’s characteristic smoky, smoldering voice on perfect no-nonsense levels. Come on back down to Bon Temps – this is not a murder to be missed. Erin, Audible Editor

Publisher's Summary

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris has won numerous awards for her Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, which has been adapted into the hit HBO show True Blood. In this 13th and final book, a murder rocks the town of Bon Temps and Sookie is arrested for the crime. After making bail, she sets out to clear her name - but her investigation only leads to more deaths.

"What sucked me in? Definitely the books’ oddly charming, often funny mix of the mundane and the absurd. And the chills and thrills in boudoirs and various locales around the South aren’t too bad either." (The Seattle Times)

I re-listened to everything previously written in this series to prepare for this book. I agree with the reviewers who believe Ms. Harris lost her heart for this series, I have seen this with other authors like in the Anita Blake series.

I was so disheartened that I went through my audio library looking for an old friend to re-visit. Instead, I stumbled onto a new gem. Like the Sookie series, this series has an odd, gifted and very loveable heroine. Like Sookie's home, this is set in a world all its own. While it lacks vampires and werewolves, it has lots of chemistry.

Have a listen to Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Follow the adventures of Flavia. Listening is good again.

(No spoilers.) I honestly don't believe Charlaine Harris wrote this book. I suspect she either supervised a ghost writer who needed a firmer editing hand, or she did write it and it's just an early draft that she either didn't care to improve or couldn't because of other commitments. The plot is ridiculous, contrived, crammed full of details in places and outright boring in others. The supernatural abilities of characters are inconsistent with our previous experience of them, with no explanation for why they can not do something they have done before or they can suddenly do something that was impossible. There are characters who step in for meaningless cameos, as if there was some casting obligation, but no actual plot point to give them. And for the first time in thirteen books and as many stories as I've read, except for a tag on one short story, the author has departed from her first person narrator perspective.

Some reviewers are rating the book low because they think she ended up with the wrong man. That's not my issue. This is the last book in the series. I expected the quality of story telling that kept me reading all these years and made me fall in love with these characters. This book did not have that quality. It's disappointing, and its a sad end to the Sookie series.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Dead Ever After?

the trailer. *shivers*

Any additional comments?

I feel cheated out of a true happily ever after, for the fans and for the protagonist. Instead, Sookie ends up with a "we'll take it slow" with her bff. What a tragedy. It sullied the entire series that was filled so much promise. I've read better fan fiction that was more devoted to the continuity of characters and had a greater love and reverence for the overall Sookieverse. Charlaine needs a do over, beginning with book 10 or maybe even 9.

After 13 books this final instalment felt completely out of place, as if the writer just went through the motions to conclude a story that she didn't enjoy anymore. The characters were shadows of their former selves, none exhibiting their usual characteristics that made me fall in love with them.It was also boring, the mundane details of Sookie's life were on the forefront and took up most of the time pushing the relationships and plot on the sidelines. I forgot what the story was about, so caught up with her checking her messages and emails. Her relationships as well were incredibly odd, her motivations, her love, it was as if none of the experiences she had in the past 12 books existed. What a pathetic end to this series. I wish I had never listened to it.

The story. Maybe Ms.Harris could of put forth a little more effort into the plot.

Has Dead Ever After turned you off from other books in this genre?

How could it? It's the last book of the series, which I adored for the most part.

Which character – as performed by Johanna Parker – was your favorite?

Sookie of course. I always loved Pam.

Was Dead Ever After worth the listening time?

Yes. It wasn't horrific.

Any additional comments?

I believe we, the fans who have come to love and cherish these books deserve more of a story. This book seemed like Harris just threw some ideas out there and settled. No great creativity seemed to go into it. I get it after 13 books Sookie's "been there and done that", and no new characters could really be introduced. But the characters she chosen to bring back were well, dumb, .Amelia was written out of the book as far as I'm concerned, as was her father, Bob, and the others I won't mention due to spoiling the story. I wish it could of been more focused on the core characters. But it went in so many different directions that the story didn't seem to be concrete.

This book did not read like a SVM story. I felt like I was reading fan fiction story ideas. There was a very weak plot and uninteresting side stories. Ms. Harris seems to have wanted the readers to have one last visit from many old characters even if it was forcing a contrived story line. ****Spoiler****. It was ridiculous that Copley, Marley, Steve N and more were all murderously angry with Sookie. I don't mind that Sookie ends up with Sam, but the complete dismissal of Eric's character was disappointing. He was developed as a love interest for Sookie since book 2, growing even more important to each other after the summit. The characters in Book 13 had stark differences from the rest if the series. It was as if someone else wrote the book or that Ms Harris was sick of writing these stories and just wanted to end it. I would have been happier if she had stopped at 12 or maybe even earlier.

What was most disappointing about Charlaine Harris’s story?

She developed Eric and then threw the character away without at realistic break up and good bye.

Which character – as performed by Johanna Parker – was your favorite?

Diantha! Her fast talk makes me laugh.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Even though Charlaine Harris says she hired an editor to help with continuity, it didn't work. If I hadn't bought audiobooks, I could have sent her my 12 books so she could look up what happened in the previous books. For example, Sookie says she only met Copley Carmichael once before. WRONG! Also, why include characters that have no purpose in the book just because they were in prior books? I felt like it was a final episode of a bad show where everyone who ever had a part had to take a final bow.

Would you be willing to try another one of Johanna Parker’s performances?

Probably not. Johanna Parker should have reviewed her voices and pronunciation of names from previous recordings. Also, could Sookie have sounded more whiney?

What character would you cut from Dead Ever After?

Quinn. What was he there for? His part could have been performed by any other animal. Harris included him just so she could wrap up any possibility of Quinn and Sookie. Talk about playing to her audience.

Any additional comments?

Charlaine Harris started with a great concept and character in her first book but by book 10 it was clear she was bored with the storyline. This book was nothing more than a contractual obligation for her - she promised 13 books and no matter what the quality, she was going to provide 13 books. I didn't care who Sookie ended up with although Sam is definitely the easy, vanilla way of ending the book. Oh wait, there's another book due out in October that will tell the future. As if I care anymore. And another thing. A DEVIL??!!! COME ON!!!

I solemnly swear upon my Audible account that I will never, ever, ever spend one more cent on a Charlaine Harris book. So help me God.

The motivations of the bad guys out to get the main character were total garbage, and so were all the convenient inconsistencies that helped the story along. There have been some inconsistencies in the writing of these books before, but it's never been a big enough road block for me to begin to dismiss the story completely. This addition felt rushed and poorly thought out.

What does Johanna Parker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator does a good job with the voice and accent of the main character, bringing the sultry and traditional elements of the south out in full color, though the voices and mannerisms she used for many of the other characters sounded unrealistic and stereotypical. Sam always sounded like a goofy little boy with a crush on the main character, not a grown man from Louisiana.

I really wish Ms Harris would have ended this series with 8 books instead of dragging it out. It steadily got worse, as the books went on. (kinda like Anita Blake). Some of these authors need to learn when to end a series, before they get totally burned out, and write crap in order to pick up their paycheck. Where are the editors anyway?I know I'm not writing the books, but I do think when an author has created a huge following, those readers should be considered and listened to. Someone needs to look where their paycheck came from.That being said......this book was rushed, with stupid cameos all the way through it from just about every character ever introduced. Things that made Sookie, Sookie in other books, all of a sudden are different in this book. Doesn't the author use cliff notes to remind herself what abilities and history her characters have? Spoiler Alert====

Spolier Alert!!!I really feel the whole series should have been Sookie's dream (Like Bobby in Dallas) cause Sookie didn't achieve anything in the end. She ended up right where she started out, working in a diner with Sam, not really sold on wanting Sam, so she'll have to think about it for awhile. (oh yes, that's cause Ms Harris wants to sell us another book in a few months.Fat chance on me buying that one.) Sookie went through all kinds of horrible experiences, only to be jilted by the one man that she truly ever loved. All these books, making Eric always being there to rescue her, and he becomes a slave to another vampire in the end. (Oh yes, that's how he started out too)So basically, Ms Harris sees ones life going full circle, ending up just where you started and no HEA for her main characters. She should have killed them off, dying in each others arms. I think it would have been easier to deal with, than to totally alter their characters. Neither one of them would have just given up and settled, in earlier books, but that's what Ms Harris seemed to forget again. Shame on her.

To all the True Blood books, they are all good. You can't compare it to many other vampire books as True blood is completely different in so many ways, maybe to Vampire Diaries with humans and vamps cohabiting.

What about Johanna Parker’s performance did you like?

She did a really good job, adding all the different accent was a great addition.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile all the way through

Any additional comments?

Would definitely recommend as a great listen.

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Andromeda's Twin

UK

5/15/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Fantastic Finale"

I felt obliged to mention my views on this because of all the negativity surrounding this release. I was rather dreading this finale to be honest, until it was finally released and my ears were overjoyed to listen to it at last.

The story nicely wraps things up in my opinion, I was always rooting for the particular romantic outcome that transpires so maybe I'm biased but there is no absolutely no decrease in writing skill nor lack of care in any aspect of this story as has been implied in many reviews on other websites. I love this finale and my only complaint is that there will be no more Sookie:(

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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